As young as we are, temptations come our way in diverse ways but we should be able to stand firm and resist them.
Temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It also describes coaxing or inducing a person into committing an act by manipulating, curiosity, desire or fear of loss. Temptations that knock on our doors include smoking, drug addiction, sexual immorality, alcoholism, robbery and watching pornography.
As flesh and blood, we can act wrongly; however, we should learn to control our wrong desires as Jesus did when He was tempted. The Book of James 1:13 teaches us not to say “I am tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
Our lives are full of “opportunities” that, in truth, are inopportune for us. For instance, stealing and becoming a millionaire in a twinkle of an eye is an opportunity but in truth, it is not a good thing to do.
Though it is not easy, we should be able to tell the difference between good challenges and those that will ensnare us. We should identify the temptation that exerts the strongest pull on us and when it is likely to occur. This can help us to set objectives and measures to avoid them.
If a path seems to tempt us into acting against the will of God, we should change it for the better. Often, a simple confident refusal is all that is needed. For instance, if a friend offers a cigarette, we could say: “Do not waste it on me. I do not smoke!” and make sure we stick to it.
This, I think, is a difficult thing to do because some times, we would like to refuse something but the pressure to accept would be more powerful than we would expect. For instance, if a friend offers an alcohol, we would accept for the fact of friendship and to avoid being called names.
I therefore suggest that we should render our services to God and wait upon Him to strengthen us over temptations. At the least, we can pray the familiar petition: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.
